


More Than A Band

by RadioFreeHayden



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV 2020)
Genre: Gen, Oneshot, lemonade mouth au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 17:27:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30126282
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioFreeHayden/pseuds/RadioFreeHayden
Summary: "I know you felt something when we played together. All of you.”After they spontaneously play together in detention, Luke tries to convince three classmates to start a band with him. (In other words: Lemonade Mouth AU, baby!)
Relationships: Alex Mercer & Julie Molina & Luke Patterson & Reggie Peters
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	More Than A Band

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thesmallest_ace](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesmallest_ace/gifts).



> for Amanda: for sharing so many stories with me, for making me feel loved every day, for letting me love you back. you're the best ever and I couldn't be luckier.

“Look, we already talked about this,” Julie says. “It’s not gonna happen.”

“But it _could_ ,” Luke insists. “What are you so afraid of? Julie, you’re an amazing singer.” She doesn’t answer. “And I know you felt something when we played together. All of you.” He looks around to Reggie and Alex. “Why not give it a shot? You could write our lyrics—” he says to Julie, ignoring her scoff, “—and Alex, you’ve got real drums, right?”

“Yeah?”

“See?” Luke whispers to Reggie. “I didn’t even know that.” He didn’t—still doesn’t—know _anything_ about Alex, really, besides that he’s an awesome percussionist and he happened to get detention last week. But that’s enough for right now, because the way Luke felt when they played . . . it meant something, it had to. He doesn’t know anyone at this table, but he so badly wants to. “Come on, you guys, it’s like we were made for this.”

It’s a no-brainer as far as Reggie is concerned. An excuse to hang around somewhere besides his house, space to practice, and a chance at new friends? “I’m in,” he says. “But only if everyone else is.” His eyes dart from Julie to Alex and back to Luke. 

“Yes!” Luke says. “Yes, _thank you_. Alex?” 

“I mean, it could be kinda cool,” Alex says. Luke’s eyes light up and he quickly backpedals. “But I don’t know if I can. I’ve got a ton of AP classes, and . . . other stuff.”

Luke rolls his eyes. “You have ‘ _stuff_.’ What you _have_ is talent, man. We could be something great; who _cares_ about school?” Alex shrugs noncommittally. Luke shifts tactics. “But look, we’ll make time for your classes and your homework and everything. I promise.”

Alex picks up his pencil, flips it around in his fingers a few times. _No_ is the easy answer, and he’s almost ready to say it, ready to let his life return to what it’s always been. Starting a band with three kids he barely knows is about a million miles outside his comfort zone. But he doesn’t want to let go of the possibility yet, because Luke’s right—he felt _alive_ when they made music together.

“I’ll think about it,” he says finally. It’s always code for “definitely not,” but this time, if Alex is honest with himself, he wants it to mean yes. Luke beams, and Alex wonders if he read his thoughts.

They all look at Julie. She scoots her chair back and throws up her hands. “You guys can do whatever you want, but I already told you, I’m out.”

“Julie, come on, we can’t do it without you,” Luke pleads. His puppy-dog eyes don’t _not_ have an effect on her—she can see how much he wants this, and maybe if it was really possible, she’d say yes. 

But if just wanting it hard enough was enough to get her back into music, her dad and Carlos and Flynn would have succeeded months ago. _She_ would have succeeded months ago. “I don’t play. End of story.”

“But you can sing!” Reggie says.

Luke nods. “Yeah, dude, we all heard you.”

“And you’re really, really talented,” Alex adds. 

“Thanks,” she says flatly. She looks like she’s been backed into a corner—and like she’s willing to elbow her way out. It’s obvious that if they keep pushing her, they’ll never get anywhere, so Alex tries something else.

“Okay, how about this,” he says, fishing a quarter out of his pocket, “heads we do it, tails we don’t.” 

Julie gives him a look. “I’m not—”

“Just one rehearsal,” Luke cuts in. “One practice, and if you hate it, I’ll drop it, promise. Just give us a chance.” 

“Okay,” she says after a second. “We’ll do Alex’s coin flip thing. If it’s heads I’ll come to _one rehearsal_. That’s all I’m agreeing to.”

Luke silently pumps his fist, then looks at Alex expectantly. 

He flicks the coin into the air.

There’s a trick his mom taught him once: if you’re ever unsure about a decision, flip a coin. The way you feel about the result tells you what you really wanted all along. That only works when it’s a one-person decision, though. Here, they all agreed on the terms, so no matter how he feels, it’s out of Alex’s hands now.

The coin spins around on the table and falls over.

Heads.

Alex grins. And even though she tries to hide it, he could swear he sees Julie smile too.


End file.
